Report reveals former Manchester United manager’s key role in bringing Hansi Flick to Barcelona | OneFootball

Football can be cruel at times, and FC Barcelona are no strangers to that timeless fact. Despite putting their heart and soul into the game against Inter Milan, they could not prevail at the San Siro. Such is the misery of this sport, and yet another year goes by for Barcelona in the Champions League without the title.

However, they cannot keep thinking about the game that has just passed. Instead, focus must shift towards the future and Barcelona need to regroup as well as they possibly can ahead of a season-defining El Clasico up ahead. Against Real Madrid, Barça now have a mountain to climb.

Fortunately for them, Hansi Flick is at the helm and he has taken this team from low expectations to coming extremely close to a potential treble. While all three titles are no longer possible due to his team’s exit in the Champions League, a domestic treble is still on the table.

With the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey already won, Barcelona must now shift their entire focus towards La Liga. So far this season, moreover, Hansi Flick has managed to best Carlo Ancelotti in each and every single encounter that their teams have had.

Ralf Ragnick spoke about Hansi Flick with Joan Laporta

However, Flick may not even have been at Barcelona this season had it not been for a fateful conversation a few years ago. As per the information provided by Barca Reservat (h/t Football Espana), it was actually a conversation between President Joan Laporta and former Manchester United manager Ralf Ragnick that introduced Laporta to Flick and his quality as a coach.

Ralf Ragnick spoke about Hansi Flick with Joan Laporta. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)

Hailed as the father of the Red Bull empire in football, and also a major pioneer when it comes to the German school of football, Ragnick is a man who knows a lot about coaches from Germany. Moreover, he passed on his knowledge to Laporta as the latter was already looking at potential coaches that he would have liked to bring in.

Putting Flick ahead of other German managers

This list includes the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp, and even Hansi Flick. As per the report, all of these coaches have been influenced by Ragnick but he told Laporta that Flick was the most complete manager out of the ones in question.

Unfortunately for Laporta, Flick was still involved with the German National team at that point and thus Xavi Hernandez was brought in. However, at long last, the possibilities and situations of all parties aligned and Hansi Flick was brought in for this season after he managed to convince the higher-ups at the club that he was the man for the job and has now even become an accessible mentor for the players.